The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1887-02-11

How dye doP' responded our Cousin, in a
loud, deep voice, shaking hands with US in
turn, as each goes forward.
"Where's my trunk to GO" continues she,
having hardly glanced at Ada and me.
libby, the remiss, has now appeared on the
scene. Upon our guest deigus to bestow a
prolonged stare.
Jack, " l call, come and help upstairs with
the trunk" the while regarding with some
consternation the unwieldy article before me,
and thinking with some dismay how it will
ill up our tiny spare room.
'Out of the way, please" says our Cousin
putting me rather summarily on one side.
You lend a hand here" addressing libby,
who is standing looking on open-mouthed
from the background.
Before anyone can demonstrate, the trunk
Is half way up the staircase and all l can do
is to follow.
As predicted, after it has found a resting
place there is not much surplus room in
Cousin Mary's apartment.
libby ret res after depositing II, and enter
half hesitating.
mot much room to turn here" remarks
our guest, Coolly surveying our muCh-thOught-
of spare room.
cat least, you have it to yourself" say,
coldly. You could have had part Of a larger
room, but we fancied you would prefer this to
such an arrangement. am inwardly thank
full there is no question of my sharing a room
with my companion. She had got rid of her
ulster and hat, and Is brushing her hair before
the mirror. She then turns and looks at me
sharply, as | speak, then resumes her ocCupa-
tion in silence. Her appearance is far from
progressing. Tall and large bOned, she inn
presses one as almost coarse in feature. She
has a mass of thick, brown hair, which she
wears in a fringe cut low on Ter forehead, and
falling down behind in a large chignOn quite
out of date. Her complexion is brilliant; she
has thick lips and rather a heavy jaw, and a
large dimple on her chin. In short, she might
have been comelY, but that, perhaps from a
rough mode of life, she had become coarsened.
She has large red hands, too, and wears a
quantity of tiashy cheap looking jewelry.
Before l have finished my mental summing
up process, my companion breaks in on me.
"AmI to go down stairs now" she inquiries,
with a strong American accent, which rather
surprises me, although 1 have heard that
Cousin Mary spent part of her childhood in
America.
II beg your pardon" I respond. eyes,
we'll 90 down to tea if you are ready"
This is cosey, and no mistake" exclaims
my companion when we reach the p~arlor, with
its dainty tea table and bright lights.
so we all tea together" she goes on, taking
no notice of Jack, who regards her as a sort
of phenomenon from the background.
Pm tree to confess you're not so stuck up
as English folk in America" (The last word
she ~pronounces "Ameriky.")
No one responds to her remark. 1 privately
wonder if she expected to take tea in the
kitchen and at the same time decide that the
surroundings there would be more in keeping
than her present ones.
Won't you sit near the frel" says mother,
who, / can see, is making an effort 20 be hos
pitable. You must be cold after your jour
ney."
MARI plants herself Town with her back to
TO the fire, and scans the tea table with alook
Of supreme satisfaction.
Then we are silent. First there are so few
subjects we may breach. We must not speak
Of Uncle Edgar, our Cousins father, in case
Of awakening too painful memories, as he is
but lately dead. Weknow nothing about her.
CAr huDN5 uDLullE Vi uo. W. udfCd DoOluJt-
II nothing In common.
Have you been long in American asks
mother, presently; this evidently presenting a
safe opening.
'Long," laughs our guest, BLESS you, I've
lived there half my days.
A slight flush passes over mothers face, but
she makes another brave effort. Indeed!
/ did not know you had been there so long.
You must find England a great change"
''That / do, and it's with no win of my own
I ever set foot on II. I've been sbemefully
cheated - and Cousin Mary purses up her lips,
and her face, already flushed with the warm
room, becomes scarlet with Indignation against
some unknown one who has decoyed her from
the New England World under false pretexts.
We feel that indirectly she has cast a slight
on us by her last remark, unexplained as it
is; so we keep silence. In the meantime she
fills her saucer with half the contents of her
cup, and drinks them off, posing the saucer
dexterously between her thumb and fingers.
Jack here gives vent to a suppressed litter,
and kicks me unde the table, but | an in no
mirthful mood. 1t is all too serious.
$50 you keep two servantsr' blurts out our
guest, abruptly breaking the silence.
The question takes US By surprise. / see
Ada's expression Of face meant to warn our
visitor she is going two far. Jack nudges me
and taps his forehead significantly, with a
covert glance at Cousin Mary.
mo- | say; what makes you think sos We
have only one.n
ssOh, l thought you meant 70 keep two
now" she remarked composedly, proceeding
with her tea.
Everybody 5 relieved when the meal comes
to an end. At its close our guest has become
tired OF scrutinizing her surroundings, and
leans back in her chair y~awning unabashedly.
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